CONCORD, N.C. – The upcoming Michigan Kart Supply RLV Gold Cup Nationals at JET Karting, formerly Michiana Raceway Park, in South Bend, Ind., will feature an all-new Friday evening racing format that is primed to be the best, most prestigious awards package at a single event in the Gold Cup’s history.

Two 10-lap “Shootouts” will flank the Senior Animal Money Race. Sportsman Pro Gas Animal 10-lap Shootout and Junior Pro Gas Animal 10-lap Shootout will run off shortly following the conclusion of practice. The top-five finishers in each race will receive trophies and all participants will receive gift certificates redeemable at on-site part vendors.

But that’s not all.

Briggs & Stratton Racing has posted a brand-new stock Animal engine to the winner of each race. The new engine will be on-site, available for pickup at the racetrack.

Friday evening’s action will conclude with the best Gold Cup Money Race in its five-year history.

A cool $2,500 has been added to the purse for entrants running the Pro Gas Animal engine and WKA has developed a unique formula on payout.

For Pro Gas Senior Money Race entrants, the top-10 payout will be as follows.

The out-of-the-box payout structure is designed to award each of the top-10 Pro Gas finishers, whether it’s a new engine, $500 or $100.

A certain amount of strategy surely will come into play for many racers. With the top prize winning the new Animal, racers with an inside shot at the win will be gunning for the new Animal, however, racers aware their kart may not be capable or fast enough to run up front may look to hang around the fourth- through seventh-place range, where the payout is greatest.

If nothing else, the Money Race will be one of the most interesting events to watch in quite some time at a Gold Cup, and officials believe the format will add a great amount of excitement for racers, fans and team members.

Teams with the traditional methanol Animal-powered engines are encouraged to run this race. While the $2,500 goes to Pro Gas entrants, every entry will count toward the 75 percent purse payback. With the methanol engines quicker than Pro Gas, these drivers will have the advantage on winning the largest cuts of the 75 percent.